A U G U S T 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 7
OIC Implants
"Rep-less model"
By simplifying instrumenta-
tion and eliminating the
need for reps, OIC says it
can save hospitals and sur-
gery centers 50% or more on
implant costs. The idea defi-
nitely makes sense.
Honestly, in the vast majori-
ty of cases that I do, I feel as
if I don't really need a rep in
the room. There was a time
when there was a lot of new
technology and variability,
and having the rep present
was a value proposition. But now, most concepts are pretty
entrenched, so having a rep present for every case can be overkill.
OIC's approach is to create modular sets and trays that are color-
coded and "dummy-proof," so you can't put 2 things together that
don't go together. And they simplify the instrumentation so that, for
example, whether you're working with a tibia nail, a hip nail or a
femur nail, you pull the same base tray. That's pretty clever, and it's a
case of less being more, as sterile processing doesn't have to deal with
as many trays.
The company's goal is to spend sufficient time onboarding, making
sure everyone, including support staff, understands how everything
works, then to get out of the way. The clinical outcomes, they say, are
the same or better, and the instruments they deliver, they promise, are
every bit as high quality as those of the competition.
